I was excited about reading this book. I was looking for some low-cost or at least cost-effective ways of boosting traffic, making money, and just having a “website that kicks”. This book ended up giving me a huge amount of useful information, but at the same time it left a bit of a sour taste.
First the bad: The entire book is a marketing tool, yes, but more for Antion than anyone. There are many references to his products and his services, and when he’s not selling his own products he’s endorsing those of colleagues. There’s nothing wrong with using your book to sell your product, but I would be slightly less annoyed if the approach used a certain subtlety instead of a sledgehammer. Others may miss that facet of it, so don’t write it off because I’m oversensitive to sales pitches.
Another problem is the material in the beginning. For someone who has a small business with either no web presence or a very small, default web site (think no online purchase ability), this book is top notch for information. For someone who already has a professional website, the first half of the book may put you to sleep. It is designed to take you from the ground up, but be prepared – there’s a basement too. If you don’t mind the review, it’s not time wasted. For more advanced web users or site owners who are looking to get into the meat of online sales and marketing, then you might want to skip ahead.
That’s enough negativity – now for the good stuff.
Antion writes like he’s sitting in your living room. His tone is part wise entrepreneur and part big brother, and the mixture draws you in. His writing style, I would guess, is just like his speaking style. He was almost able to carry the less exciting or less complicated material, and once he finds his voice in the later chapters, you’ll cover a lot of ground without realizing how much you’ve learned. The entire book is also one large pep talk, so you will finish it itching to get started making your website.
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